The Arizona House and Senate have both passed a bill to repeal the Abortion Ban Law, which was reinstated by a court ruling last month. As the November presidential election approaches, the issue of abortion rights has emerged as a critical point of contention, with growing support for abortion rights even within the conservative Republican Party.
According to The Washington Post and other sources, the Arizona Senate passed a bill to repeal the blanket abortion ban law enacted in 1864, with 16 votes in favor and 14 against. Two of the 16 Republican Senators ultimately voted in favor of the repeal. As a result, Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs of Arizona plans to sign the bill on the 2nd. She stressed, “We will permanently eliminate this dreadful law (the blanket abortion ban law). This repeal is the beginning of the fight to protect women’s lives. We will continue urging Congress to protect in vitro fertilization (IVF).”
If the repeal goes into effect, abortions will be legalized up to 15 weeks after conception in Arizona, as was the case before the abortion ban was reinstated. The Arizona Supreme Court decided to revive the 1864 state law that bans all abortions except when the mother’s life is in danger, or cases of criminal activity, and the abortion ban is scheduled to take effect from June 27. However, even if Governor Hobbs signs the repeal immediately, it will not take effect until 90 days after Congress adjourns for the current session, which means there will be a period when the abortion ban is effective. Governor Hobbs expressed concern that there could be confusion until the repeal takes effect and said she wanted the Arizona Supreme Court to delay the implementation of the abortion ban.
Since the U.S. Supreme Court officially abolished the Roe v. Wade rule, which constitutionally guarantees abortion rights, in 2022, there has been a movement to ban abortion in each state. However, as public opinion supports the legalization of abortion forms ahead of the U.S. presidential elections, political pressure to abolish the abortion ban is increasing. According to a poll conducted by The New York Times and Siena College in October last year, 59% of Arizona voters claimed that abortion should be “mostly or entirely legal,” while only 34% answered that it should be “mostly or entirely illegal.” Not only in Arizona but also in the swing states of this election, the issue of abortion is attracting attention, which is particularly heightening anxiety within the Republican Party. According to Bloomberg, half of the voters in swing states said that the issue of abortion will significantly affect their voting decisions.
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